Young Adults and Spiritual Growth Session

Preparation

• Gather sheets of paper (8 1/2 by 14) and pencils.
  
  
• Ask teachers to bring their copy of this resource or print the articles "Adults and Faith" and "Religious Cults and Adults" and make copies for your participants.

Reflect and Practice

1. Open the session with prayer.
   
   
2. Distribute the paper and pencils. Ask participants to write their spiritual development timelines on the sheets of paper. Ask them to mark the timeline with their faith development milestones.
   
   
3. Spend this session letting each participant share his or her timeline. As the other participants listen, compile a list of common elements in the way your participants have grown spiritually. Ask, "How do our experiences compare to those described in the article "Adults and Faith"?"
   
   
4. As a group, consider ways to evaluate the spiritual growth of the young adults in their classes and groups. Ask, "Is the amount of church participation a sign of spiritual growth?"
   
   
5. Ask participants to reflect on the influence of religious cults and the young adults in their classes and groups. Identify the life transitions being experienced by young adults in their groups. Ask, "How can you help them through these transitions so that they will not be tempted by cults?"
   
   
6. Close the session by praying for specific young adults experiencing transitions.